Byelection 2025: Candidate profile for Nash Milani

The City of Coquitlam is organizing the School District 43 (SD43) byelection to fill a vacant Coquitlam trustee seat. Voters go to the polls on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025 (with advance voting open on Feb. 12 and 15). The Tri-City News asked the five candidates — Rosey Manhas, Candace Knoll, Dana Ebtekar, Nash Milani and Frank Do — to answer 15 questions about their campaign.

What city do you live in?

Port Moody, but I did schooling in Coquitlam.

What do you do for a living?

I work for the City of Burnaby as a recreation clerk.

Where do you volunteer in the Tri-Cities?

I’ve volunteered regularly for the BCAEA’s yearly events which raise money for local charities like QMUNITY.

Have you ever run for public office before? If so, what, when and where?

This is my début run for public office.

What public figures and organizations are endorsing your campaign?

The other candidates have half their websites and literature dedicated to all their endorsements, but most of the people and groups I asked chose to not weigh in on the election. I think the focus should be on the issues and not which local politicians like you the most.

Have you ever worked for SD43? If so, when and what position?

I have never been employed by SD43.

Do you have a relative or former family member that currently works for SD43? Who and what position?

I do not. I have family members who teach in other school districts in the province but not SD43.

Do you currently have children learning in SD43? If so, what schools?

I do not have any children but I did watch both of my younger siblings complete their K-to-12 education in SD43.

Have you ever been a part of a school organization such as a PAC? If so, where and what leadership positions did you have?

I’ve not been a member of any parent associations because I am not a parent.

What is your financial background with public institutions?

I don’t have any but school board trustees are not required to be accountants. This misconception is a big part of why young people avoid getting involved in trustee elections. We are elected advocates on behalf of the community to speak up for the needs of parents and more importantly, students.

Why are you running to be a Coquitlam school trustee?

I am running for trustee because the local district desperately should be representative of the generation it’s working for. As someone who’s recently come from the public school system, learning that the average age for school boards across Canada is over 50 is quite startling. Technology is advancing rapidly, and we require new perspectives from individuals who grasp the potential consequences if we fail to use advancements as learning tools rather than shortcuts.

How will you support students?

I want to be the number one advocate for student issues on the school board. I am already able to understand the concerns of adolescents having been one myself in the past decade, and I want to provide an opportunity for students to air grievances to someone they don’t perceive as yet another parental figure in their lives.

How will you support teachers?

Listening to educators is a vital part in the process of improving the system in which they educate. We have to address their concerns and believe what they're saying. Teachers know how best to teach. This begins with reducing class sizes to facilitate the personalization of each student’s education. Staff members who take on roles to provide extracurricular opportunities should be compensated to some degree, perhaps with additional vacation time or days off.

How will you ensure the board of education chooses the right senior management for new roles?

Each application would need to be carefully assessed by members of the board. As with any management position, the years of experience and the breadth of responsibilities undertaken by candidates should be taken into account. I am prepared to heed opinions from my fellow trustees when going through the difficult hiring process for positions of such importance.

What is the most pressing issue facing SD43 today?

How unprepared we are for the wave of artificial intelligence. It’s already here. In many schools, the average reading ability has decreased and students struggle to write simple essays. As adults, we’ve taken these corrective and informative software for granted, but they’re starting to replace cognitive thinking in our youth. Attention spans are short and constant stimulation is a must in our world now, but it can be corrected. I’ve come out of that cycle of engagement addiction ready to fight back for our future generations. This is what my candidacy stands for most of all and why I’m asking the residents of Coquitlam to elect me as their newest trustee.

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